As we confront our mortality in 2025, it's hard to believe that *Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith* has reached its 20th anniversary. Yet, this milestone brings joy as the film returns to theaters in May for Lucasfilm's celebration. Adding to the excitement, Matthew Stover's highly acclaimed novelization of *Revenge of the Sith* is set for a 20th anniversary rerelease, now available for preorder on Amazon.
Collider has shared that *Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith* will be honored with a Deluxe Edition hardcover, slated for release in October. This special edition features new cover art, red foil-edged pages, a removable acetate jacket, and over 170 new annotations by Stover himself.
Tom Hoeler, Editorial Director of Fiction and Special Projects for Random House World, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "We couldn’t be more excited to publish this incredible deluxe edition of the *Revenge of the Sith* novelization. It has been thrilling to work with author Matthew Stover and Lucasfilm to create a fully annotated edition that gives readers unprecedented insight into the creation of this masterpiece. Across nearly 50 years of Star Wars books, it stands alone, and even among film novelizations, its approach to adapting characters and story from screen to page is unique. Two decades later, this novelization is as essential, enduring, and influential – on readers and creators – as it has ever been. Bringing the book back to hardcover in a stunning deluxe keepsake edition is a perfect way to celebrate 20 years of *Revenge of the Sith*."
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Episode III - Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)
Priced at $60.00 on Amazon, this Deluxe Edition is a must-have for fans. For those unfamiliar with Stover's work, the *Revenge of the Sith* novelization is renowned as one of the finest Star Wars novels, often considered superior to the film itself. While it adheres to George Lucas' screenplay, the book enriches numerous scenes and subplots, providing a deeper dive into the psyche of characters such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. Its use of second-person narration sets it apart stylistically from other Star Wars literature. A poignant example is this passage describing Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader:
And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow. In the end you don't even want to. In the end, you do not even want to. In the end, the shadow is all you have left. Because the shadow understands you, the shadow forgives you, the shadow gathers you unto itself—And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame.
Contrast this with the film's depiction of the same scene:
This comparison highlights the unique value of the novelization. The *Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith* novel is currently available in paperback and audiobook formats, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set to release on October 14. You can preorder your copy on Amazon.
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